Implementing the Official Plan - Omnibus Reports 2023

The Official Plan is a comprehensive document that outlines the policies, objectives, and goals governing land use and development in the City of Ottawa. To ensure that it remains relevant and effective, the City regularly reviews and revises the Plan as needs and priorities evolve over time. Although the Planning Act requires the City to review and update the Official Plan at least once every five years, minor updates and corrections may be necessary in the interim. To make these updates more efficient and timely, the City of Ottawa has developed a system of 'Omnibus' reports. These reports are an essential tool for ensuring the accuracy, clarity, and applicability of the Official Plan, allowing for a range of changes to be made without requiring a lengthy amendment process for each individual change.

Omnibus Reports typically include a range of changes, from minor errors and omissions to more substantive policy revisions. They are subject to public consultation and review before being adopted. By using Omnibus Reports, the City can streamline the process of making changes to the Official Plan while ensuring that it remains accurate, up to date, and responsive to the needs of the community.

During 2023, staff anticipate at least three omnibus reports.

The first omnibus amendment relates to minor amendments to text that do not change the overall intent of policies and correct minor oversights in schedules or annexes. This amendment will also include modifications requested to be corrected by the Minister as part of the provincial approval process but not completed.

The second omnibus amendment will present more substantive amendments to the Official Plan. These are necessary amendments which will address errors and omissions to the Plan that have arisen following Council approval as well as any changes necessary due to Bill 23 (the More Homes Built Faster Act). This includes amendments that were inadvertently omitted from Volume 2C (Area Specific Policies) when the new Official Plan was approved. Amendments within this omnibus may be further grouped into smaller omnibus amendments depending on complexity and associated timing.

The third omnibus amendment will provide necessary amendments to secondary plans in Volume 2A. The amendments will focus on correcting errors and omissions in the text and schedules that were introduced to the secondary plans during consolidation and revision in the Official Plan project.

What items may be included in an Omnibus Report?

There are several categories of amendments that may be considered for inclusion in an Omnibus Report:

1. Corrections to minor errors in text, tables, or mapping
2. Clarifications to language in the plan to make it clearer or more specific
3. Conformity adjustments to ensure that the plan is consistent with other planning documents, provincial or federal guidelines or regulations
4. Corrections to schedules or maps to ensure that they accurately reflect intended land use designations and overlays
5. Technical adjustments to language or formatting to ensure consistency with industry standards or best practices
6. Updates to references and citations to ensure they are accurate and up to date
7. Revisions to policies or objectives to address emerging issues or changes in community priorities.

The specific types of changes that may be included in an Omnibus Report depends on the context of the project and the goals of the plan. Some changes may require more substantive review or consultation and may need to be addressed in a separate report or amendment to the Official Plan. The scope of changes and any relevant policies or regulations are criteria staff use to assess which amendments to include in an Omnibus Report.

There are also a number of considerations where the city will not consider an item for inclusion in an Omnibus Report

What items will not be considered for an Omnibus Report?

1. Amendments that seek relief of policies that are not an error, oversight or omission.
2. Amendments that are contrary to the 5 big moves
3. Amendments in support a current or proposed application, an application in adjudication or a previously rejected application
4. Amendments that have already been the subject of public consultation, staff review, or Council approval
5. Amendments that have a significant impact on land use or development, or that involve significant public interest or controversy
6. Amendments that require significant technical analysis, consultation, or review

Any changes proposed through an Omnibus Report are limited to policies and objectives that are consistent with the Official Plan and will not be used to circumvent or undermine existing policies or regulations.

These criteria ensure that the Omnibus Reports are used to correct minor errors and oversights, and that they are not misused to support site-specific applications or to circumvent the normal public planning and approval processes. The City reserves the right to determine whether a proposed change is appropriate for inclusion in an Omnibus Report, and to reject any proposed changes that do not meet the criteria for inclusion.

Note that although the city invites the public to provide their views on potential omnibus items the City is under no obligation to make any specific changes to the Plan. Any changes that are to be considered through an Omnibus Report will be subject to public consultation and review and will be adopted in accordance with the City's normal approval processes.

How can get I get involved?

We welcome feedback and comments on the potential items for the 2023 Omnibus Reports. There are several ways that you can provide input:

1. Visit the City of Ottawa's website to view information about the project and the Omnibus Reports. You can also provide comments and suggestions through the online feedback form on this site.
2. Submit an email to OP@ottawa.ca with your comments and suggestions. Please include "Official Plan Omnibus Reports" in the subject line and provide as much detail as possible about your feedback.

We encourage you to provide feedback early in the process, to ensure that your comments can be considered in the development of the 2023 Omnibus Amendments. Your input is important to us and will be carefully considered as part of the review and analysis process.

Finally, please note that any comments or suggestions that are provided will be subject to public disclosure and may be shared with other stakeholders or interested parties. We ask that you be respectful and constructive in your feedback, and provide specific, actionable suggestions wherever possible.

Below are a series of memos provided to Ottawa City Council on the new Official Plan.

• Memo to Council – Official Plan Decision
• Memo to Council – Official Plan Modifications
  • Table 1 – Analysis of Ministerial Modifications to the Official Plan

The final version of the Official Plan is available on Ottawa.ca.

Other questions may be directed to OP@ottawa.ca.

Please note that a high-resolution and final version of Schedules B9 and C17 will be made available once further information is received from the Ministry. Any questions relating to Schedules B9 and C17 may be directed to the Ministry's contact person, Michael Elms: Michael.Elms@Ontario.ca or (613) 545-2132. Other questions may be directed to OP@ottawa.ca.

Volume 1 Official Plan - TRACKED

Volume 1 Schedule A Transect Policy Areas

Volume 1 B-series of schedules consolidated package

Volume 1 C-series of schedules consolidated package

Volume 1 Consolidated Annexes Booklet

Volume 2A Consolidated Urban Secondary Plan Package

Volume 2B Consolidated Rural Secondary Plans Package – TRACKED

Volume 2C Area Specific Policies

Appendices 1 and 2 (illustrating MMAH modifications to Schedules B9 and C17)

NOTICE OF DECISION

With respect to an Official Plan Amendment under subsection 17(34) of the Planning Act

File No.: 06-OP-205766

Municipality: City of Ottawa

Subject Lands: All lands within the City of Ottawa

Date of Decision: November 4, 2022

Date of Notice: November 4, 2022

A decision was made on the date noted above to approve, with thirty (30) modifications, the new City of Ottawa Official Plan as adopted by By-law No. 2021-386.

Purpose and Effect of the Official Plan

The approval of City of Ottawa’s new official plan, as modified, repeals and replaces the in- effect official plan adopted by the city in 2003 and all amendments thereto. The new official plan outlines a comprehensive land use policy framework to guide growth and development within the city to the year 2046, including policies and schedules that address housing and growth management; long-term planning for employment and infrastructure; protect water resources, natural heritage and agricultural areas; manage non-renewable resources; plan for climate change; and safeguard public health and safety.

The thirty (30) modifications to the official plan have been made by the Minister to address provincial policy direction and government priorities related the long-term protection of provincial highways, wetland protection, monitoring of affordable housing and increasing housing supply.

The new official plan applies to all lands within the City of Ottawa.

Decision Final

Pursuant to subsections 17(36.5) and (38.1) of the Planning Act, the decision of the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing regarding an official plan adopted in accordance with section 26 of the Planning Act is final and not subject to appeal. Accordingly, the new City of Ottawa Official Plan, as approved with modifications by the Minister, came into effect on November 4, 2022.

Other Related Applications

None.

Getting Additional Information

Additional information is available on the City of Ottawa’s website: https://engage.ottawa.ca/the-new-official-plan

or by contacting the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing: Municipal Services Office – Eastern Region

8 Estate Lane Kingston, ON K7M 9A8

The New Official Plan team would like to once again thank all residents who took the time to engage with the City over the last two years. The New Official Plan is an important document that will help shape the growth of Ottawa for the next 25 years.

The policy was amended and passed by City Council on October 27^th, 2021. The revised version was adopted by Council on November 24^th, 2021 as by-law 2021-386 and can be found below.

Volume 1

Volume 2A

Volume 2B

Volume 2C

A French version can be found here.

Please stay tuned to learn more about how the New Official Plan will be implemented once approved by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Thank you,

New Official Plan Team.

The Final As We Heard It report tells the story of how we got to the revised New Official Plan. The revised New Official Plan includes bold policy recommendations and aims to guide growth in Ottawa for the next 25 years. Many of these policies are a direct result of the feedback we have heard over the last two and a half years.

City-wide As We Heard It Report

Ward Reports

You can also see the Interim As We Heard It Reports shared throughout the development of the New Official Plan below:

June 2021 Interim City Wide Report

Ward reports

December 2019 Interim Report

Ottawa’s New Official Plan provides us with a blueprint for building healthier and more inclusive neighbourhoods, learn more via this Infographic.

The City has engaged over 100,000 residents through over 130 activities during each phase of development for the New Official Plan. All feedback as been tracked and reviewed. After thorough consideration, City Planners have revised the draft New Official Plan to reflect some of the major themes and concerns.

The 21 one-pagers below have also been updated to better reflect the revised draft New Official Plan. These focus on the key topics heard in our engagement with residents. The one-pagers are intended to help residents gain a better understanding of proposed policies through a series of brief plain language highlight sheets.

The 15-minute neighbourhood concept provides options for residents to meet their daily or weekly needs within walking distance by bringing destinations closer together. These neighbourhoods are designed to enable easy, safe, and enjoyable connections between destinations. The approach focuses on walking as a viable option for accessing regular needs, as it is the most universally accessible mode of transportation. In 15-minute neighbourhoods, residents ideally spend less time travelling to fulfill their regular needs, by creating locally focused neighbourhoods with more options closer to home. Residents have opportunities to save on transportation costs, enjoy their neighbourhood more, and improve their daily activity.

Introduced in the ‘Five Big Moves’, the principles of 15-minute neighbourhoods are integral to the strategic directions contained in Ottawa’s Draft New Official Plan. The concept of 15-minute neighbourhoods supports a variety of objectives relating to intensification, economic development, energy and climate change, gender equity, and culture. Additionally, planning for 15-minute neighbourhoods represents a critical means of embedding health resiliency in planning in order to achieve healthier, more inclusive communities.

15-minute neighbourhoods are compact, well-connected places with a clustering of a diverse mix of land-uses; this includes a range of housing types, shops, services, local access to food, schools and day care facilities, employment, greenspaces, parks and pathways. They are complete communities that support active transportation and transit, reduce car dependency, and enable people to live car-light or car free, if they so choose.

The 15-minute neighbourhood study is the first step at understanding the components of a 15-minute neighbourhood as they evolve across Ottawa’s urban, suburban, and rural transects. This study of 15-minute neighbourhoods is composed primarily of two different mapping exercises. One looking at access to available services and amenities; and the other focusing on the safety and enjoyability of the pedestrian environment with respect to walking to these services and amenities.

Report

Maps:

Map A1: Service and Amenity Locations
Map A1-1: Grocery Store and Supermarket Locations City-Wide
Map A1-2: Park Locations City-Wide
Map A1-3: Retail Service Locations City-Wide
Map A1-4: Bus Stop Locations City-Wide
Map A1-5: Health Service Locations City-Wide
Map A1-6: O-Train/Light Rail Transit Station Locations City-Wide
Map A1-7: Indoor Community Centre, Recreational Facility, and Library Locations City-Wide
Map A1-8: Elementary and Secondary School Locations City-Wide
Map A1-9: Childcare Facility Locations City-Wide
Map A2: Service and Amenity Diversity City-wide
Map A3: Service and Amenity Diversity with Priority Weighting from Survey City-wide
Map A4: Service and Amenity Concentration with Priority Weighting from Survey City-wide
Map A5: Access to Services and Amenities, Combined Scores City-wide
Map A6: Pedestrian Environment, Commercial Street Classification City-wide
Map A7: Pedestrian Environment, City-wide Assessment City-wide
Map A8: Access to Services and Amenities, and Pedestrian Environment City-Wide
Map A8-1: Access to Services and Amenities, and Pedestrian Environment Downtown Core
Map A8-2: Access to Services and Amenities, and Pedestrian Environment Inner Urban
Map A8-3: Access to Services and Amenities, and Pedestrian Environment Outer Urban
Map A8-4: Access to Services and Amenities, and Pedestrian Environment Kanata-Stittsville
Map A8-5: Access to Services and Amenities, and Pedestrian Environment South Nepean and Riverside South
Map A8-6: Access to Services and Amenities, and Pedestrian Environment Leitrim
Map A8-7: Access to Services and Amenities, and Pedestrian Environment Orléans
Map A8-8: Access to Services and Amenities, and Pedestrian Environment Villages

Appendix B

Appendix C

Healthy and Inclusive Communities Infographic

The New OP team recently held 5 public sessions to discuss the City Wide Interim As We Heard report and the themes that were heard from each of the 5 transects. Below are links for both the presentations that were provided and the transcribed Q&A session.

June 22^nd Rural Transect

• Presentation
• Q&A

June 23^rd Suburban Transect

• Presentation
• Q&A

June 23^rd Outer Urban Transect

• Presentation
• Q&A

June 24^th Downtown Transect

• Presentation
• Q&A

June 28^th Inner Urban

• Presentation
• Q&A

If you have a question that has not been answered please email newop@ottawa.ca